


Wave of Rebellion

by Dragonquillca



Series: Tales From The West [1]
Category: NWSL - Fandom, USWNT - Fandom, Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, F/F, Series, Western
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-14 21:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14777693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonquillca/pseuds/Dragonquillca
Summary: There is a town held fast by the powerful grip of fear - of one man. No one dares to stand against him until a mysterious stranger comes to town looking for medical help. She just wants to be patched up and leave town, but the raging infection, and a stunning brunette doctor won't let her. When enforcers start dying quietly, one by one, suspicion starts to fly as thick as the dust on the street. But no one suspects the stranger.But one day, there is a showdown between the stranger and the man who rules the town with fear, and only one of them will be left standing.This is a tale of secrets, hope and the bravery it takes to stand up to cruelty.





	1. Prologue

In an alternate universe, there is a dusty town that could pass for Tombstone, or Deadwood or any other frontier town. But this town is held hostage by the fear of one man. No one moves away without his permission. No one rises to any position of power without his permission, and no one with guts is encouraged to stay. It is into this town that our hero rides one day, slumped in her saddle and near death. Somehow her horse finds his way to the steps of the doctor's clinic, and as the horse stops, the stranger falls from the saddle. This is the story of what happens when the heart battles fear and bullying.

 


	2. A Stranger Comes To Town

The wind swirled the dust up and off the street as a horse plodded into town, the rider on the chestnut’s back slumped in the saddle. The horse made its way down the street, ignoring the few people that it passed. It looked as if it had been some time since it been brushed and cared for. Sweat had dried on its flanks and mixed with the dust, giving the poor beast an air of neglect. Finally, it turned toward a weathered building and stopped at the trough of water in front. The rider could hold on no longer and slid from the saddle, falling in an ungraceful heap in the dirt. A little boy who had been crouching in the shade of the trough bolted into the building, and emerged a moment later, clutching the skirt of a dark-haired woman.

“All right, Cassius, no need to pull so hard, I’m coming...oh, I see.” The woman hurried to the collapsed rider before turning back to the little boy. “Cassius, go get Kyle, quick!”

 

As the little boy ran to the general store, she felt for a pulse. It was weak and thready, but it was there.

“Ali!” Kyle called out as he ran to her side.

“Looks like another exhausted cowboy. Can you take him inside?”

“It’s a good thing you’re my family, Ali,” Kyle grunted a little as he lifted the rider. “Go get the door.”

Cassius already had the main door to the medical clinic open, so Ali rushed ahead to open the door of a private room upstairs.

Kyle shouldered his way in a few moments later and laid the rider on the bed before turning. “Need anything else, Sis?”

“I think I’ll be okay now. If I need you again, I’ll send Cassius. Thank you, Kyle,” Ali said as she laid a hand on one of his arms.

Her brother shot her a grin. “Anything for you. Never know when I might need a doctor, after all. I’ll head back to the store.”

“Can you turn the sign on your way out?”

“Sure thing. I’ll see you later.” Kyle nodded and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Ali turned back toward the bed, startled to find two green eyes gazing back at her.

 

“Where am I?” the stranger rasped.

“Your horse brought you in, you’re in the medical clinic of Kennecot. I’m Dr. Krieger…”

“No Doc!” The rider struggled to sit up.

“It’s okay, I promise, I’m a real doctor!” Ali tried to hold her patient down, wondering if she should have asked Kyle to stay. “I just want to figure out why you passed out.”

The cowboy didn’t have a lot of fight left and fell back onto the bed, breathing heavy. “Snake bit me in the leg…”

“What kind of snake? I need to cut these pants off…”

“No!” The rider grabbed Ali’s wrist. “Just take my boot off and lift the pant leg, please...I only have one pair of pants…” Before he could say anything else, the cowboy lost consciousness.

“Damnit...Cassius, get my stethoscope and the spitoon from the corner, please.” Ali asked as she pulled up the pant leg closest to her.

She found the bite easily, a large red blotch surrounding two punctures in the cowboy’s calf.

Cassius put the spitoon on the floor beside the bed and handed Ali the stethoscope before turning away to get the doctor’s bag from the main room downstairs.

Ali put the ends in her ears and bent to undo the cowboy’s shirt to listen to his heart, surprised to find his chest wrapped in cloth.

“What in the…?”

It didn’t take much of an examination to figure out why her patient didn’t want to be seen by a doctor.

 

By the time Cassius came running back with the bag, Ali had buttoned the rider’s shirt again. She wasted no time in taking her scalpel from the bag and making a small cut over the puncture wounds. She bent her head and sucked as much of the poison out as she could, spitting it into the spitoon. When finally the wound had stopped bleeding and looked less angry, Ali turned again to the boy at her side.

“Go get me the jar marked Mandrake, okay?”

Cassius ran off again, leaving Ali to mumble to her still unconscious patient. “Good thing I taught him to read.”

 

When she finally closed the door behind her sometime later, the sun was setting and her patient was breathing easily. Cassius was waiting out in the hall, as she’d asked him to do, and he looked up at her with a question in his eyes.

“I think he’ll be okay now,” Ali ruffled the little boy’s hair. “Let’s go and have something to eat while he sleeps, okay?”

 

But late that night, after Ali had tucked her adopted son into bed, she found sleep to be elusive. She gave up trying to sleep and rose from the bed. She checked to be sure Cassius was sleeping and wrapped her sweater around her shoulders. Questions about the stranger upstairs in her clinic had kept her awake, so she eased quietly out the door and across the yard to the back door of the clinic. By the light of the lantern clutched in one hand, she let herself into the room. It was easy to see how she had mistaken the gender of her patient by the short dark hair and slim build without curves. Earlier that evening, Ali had asked Cassius to wait out in the hall while she changed her patient into a nightshirt that would be more comfortable. A task made all the easier by the fact that the person in question had remained unconscious. She checked the snakebite under the bandage and while it looked better, she knew from hard experience that infection was just as serious a danger as the venom had been. The difference was that infection would take longer to kill the victim. The skin was still red. The bandage showed evidence of pus, and Ali shook her head silently as she turned to retrieve fresh bandages from a drawer in a nearby cabinet.

 

“I guess I lived, then?”

Ali’s gaze flicked up to her patient to find those green eyes watching her. “You did, but now we’re fighting the infection. I’m changing your bandage. I’m using a mandrake and willow paste. Mandrake to fight the infection, and willow helps with the pain. You should know…”

“Yeah, I figured you’d find out…”

Ali stopped what she’d been doing, and held out a hand, palm out. “Wait. I know, yes, but I’m the only one.  I took your clothes to wash them. I’ll bring them back in the morning when they’re dry. Your secret is safe with me. No one else knows, or will know unless you tell them.”

“Is this where you tell me that your silence can be bought?”

“Of course not!” Ali was aghast. “Even if I were not an honorable woman, which I am, your secret is protected by doctor/patient confidentiality!” Ali shook her head as she slathered the poultice on and covered it with a clean bandage. “I’m Dr. Alexandra Krieger, by the way. What should I call you?”

“Harris.”

“Good to make your acquaintance, Harris. Do you need anything?”

“Is the water here safe?”

“No one has gotten sick from it if that’s what you mean.” Ali tied a long strip of cloth around Harris’ calf to keep the bandage in place and flipped the quilt back over the bandage. Then she went to the dresser and turned over a glass that rested upside down. She filled it with water from a nearby pitcher, covered that back over with cheesecloth and took Harris the glass.

Harris had struggled to an upright position in the bed and accepted the glass gratefully. “Thank you. You’re the first person I’ve ever met that keeps things so clean.”

Ali sat on the side of the bed. “Well, despite the prevailing beliefs, infections and sickness thrive on unclean things. So I boil bandages, steam clean my instruments and keep a clean clinic. It’s how things were done at school, and it’s how I do them here.”

 

“You went to school?” Harris sounded almost envious.

“Women’s Medical School of Timmonsmith,” Ali replied proudly. “What about you?”

“Well, I certainly never went to school,” Harris said as she returned the glass.

“I’ve not seen you around town before,” Ali fished for an explanation without outright asking for one, which would have been rude.

“I live a free life, just my horse and I. We’re passing through. Is he...?”

Ali patted the foot closest to her hand. “He’s fine. My brother Kyle took him to his place to take care of him properly. Once he’s had a few more good meals, a bath and some rest, he’ll be as good as new.”

“I want to get back on the trail as soon as I can.”

“Good luck escaping the notice of Mr. Kennecot,” Ali said as she stood and crossed the room to turn down the wick on the lantern. “Rest. Your body needs to rest to fight off the infection. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Good night, Dr. Krieger. Thanks for keeping me alive.”

“My pleasure, Harris. Get some sleep.”

 

With the door to the room closed once more, Harris let out a long breath and wondered why she needed to escape Kennecot’s attention.

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **

  
  



	3. Compromises and Secrets

Harris was awake before the sun, and for awhile was content to listen to the sounds of the town waking up. But it didn’t take long for her to get restless. After putting the lid back on the overnight bowl, and sliding it under the bed, she started looking for her clothes. It wouldn’t be right for someone to catch her in this nightshirt. A knock on the door made her flip the quilt back up in a hurry.

“Harris? Can I come in? I have your clothes.”

“Yeah.”

The door opened and Dr. Krieger came into the room. She wore a dark green dress with a double row of buttons down the front and white lace around the sleeves. Her hair was up in a loose bun and when she smiled to see her patient awake and alert, she smiled. The smile made the skin across her nose crinkle, and Harris had to swallow hard.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“More like my old self, thanks.”

Ali set a bundle on the end of the bed. “Here are your clothes, as promised. Freshly scrubbed and aired.”

“Thank you. I haven’t had a chance to do more than rinse them when Bear and I cross a river.”

“Bear is your horse?”

Harris nodded. “I rescued him from a black bear when he was a foal. His mother wasn’t so lucky.”

 

Ali crossed the room and opened the curtains. “I’m glad you were able to save him then. Mind if I take a look at your leg?”

Harris flipped the corner of the quilt back and watched Ali’s long fingers as they took away the old bandage. She bent over Harris’s leg and frowned slightly.

“I’d like to keep you here for another day. Your leg isn’t healing as it should.”

“Can’t you just slap another poultice on me? I’d really rather get out of this bed.”

Ali shook her head as she turned to mix the ingredients for another poultice and a fresh bandage. “Your infection could turn worse quickly, and if that happens, you have a better chance being close by, rather than out on some trail somewhere. But I can make you a compromise.”

“What would that be?”

“I can fix you up so you can get out of here and into your own clothes. But, you agree to stay at least two more days.”

“Two? A minute ago you said one more!”

“That’s my offer, Harris,” Ali spoke quietly as she bent to apply the poultice. “Out of this room and in your own clothes if you stay for two more days.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I walk out of this room, taking your clothes with me, and you’re stuck here for another day. One way, you gain a little freedom, good food and some sunshine. The other way, you’re stuck in here with nothing to do.”

Harris sighed dramatically. “You drive a hard bargain, Doc Krieger.”

Ali finished tying off the strips of cloth over the bandage. “Kyle says I’m mule-headed. But in the end, he usually agrees with me.” She set her hands on her hips then and gazed down at Harris. “So? What’ll it be?”

“You better hand me my clothes, ‘cause I’m not going out there in a nightshirt.”

Ali grinned widely as she passed over the clothes. “Good! Your saddlebags are under the bed. No one has touched your belongings. Meet me downstairs when you’re ready and I’ll show you where you’ll rest up over the next couple of days.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

 

****

 

Ali turned at the creak on the stairs. Harris was just stepping to the landing when their eyes met. She was dressed in her dark pants and linen shirt and buttoning a steel grey vest over that. On her head was a grey hat, flat-topped and low, and her saddlebags were looped over one arm. 

“I think I’m as ready to get out of here as I’ll ever be.”

“Wonderful! Come out back with me.”

“Whatever you say.”

 

Once outside, she followed the doctor across a small yard, half of which was fenced in for a small flock of chickens, and a small section on the other side was a garden, long turned fallow. Harris kept her thoughts to herself as they climbed three wooden steps and went into a small log home.

Ali closed the door behind them before turning. “Welcome to my home.”

Harris took her hat off as a sign of respect and looked around the one-room cabin. “It’s very tidy.”

Ali stepped further into the room and indicated a curtained off area. “You can stow your saddlebags in there since that’s where you’ll be sleeping. Kyle will be joining us for breakfast soon. He’s out back seeing to the stock.” She tousled Cassius’ hair as he came from behind another curtain, rubbing his eyes. “Once you get the sleep out, go and fetch the eggs please.”

 

Harris stowed her saddlebags and coat on the bed and rejoined Ali. “What can I do, Doc?”

“You should be sitting with that leg up. But perhaps you could cut some ham up so I can mix it with the eggs?”

By the time Kyle came in with a pitcher of milk from the cow, Cassius had come in with a basket of eggs.

“Oh! Good morning! I wasn’t aware we had company, I’m sorry. I’m Kyle, Ali’s brother,” Kyle set the pitcher down on the table and stuck his hand out.

“Harris. The Doc and I made a deal for my release.” She set the knife down and shook Kyle’s hand.

Ali had tied an apron around her. “Harris was going a little stir crazy in that room, so …” Ali was unsure what pronoun she should use and stumbled over an explanation.

“The Doc has told me I can stay here for a couple of days while my leg heals up a bit more. I was getting bored up there.”

Kyle took down four glasses from a shelf, set them on the table and poured four equal measures of milk. While they watched Cassius silently set the table, Harris spoke up again.

“I understand I have you to thank for taking care of my horse for me. It means a great deal. Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. He’s a fine animal,” Kyle waved off Harris’ gratitude. “He’s out back with the cow.”

“So this is your place?” Harris asked. “Doc said you were keeping him at your place…”

“The townspeople think Ali lives with me, and that makes her life a little easier in some ways I guess, but in truth, I live with her. I run the general store and provide a male presence to keep the busybodies around here happy.”

 

Ali set a cup of coffee in front of Harris and shot her a quick smile. “You can call me Ali too, you know.”

“If that’s what you’d prefer, Ma’am.”

“So what do you do, Harris? Move cattle?” Kyle asked.

“I’ve done that, but not right now. I’ve come west following my heart.”

“Cass, breakfast is almost ready, would you go wash up, please?” Ali said as she set a cup of coffee in front of her brother. 

“I don’t think I’ve heard him say a single word,” Harris said in an effort to get the focus off herself.

“You won’t either,” Ali shook her head sadly as she set plates of eggs, ham, and biscuits in front of Kyle and Harris. “His mama was my best friend. She was crossing the street one day when he was just an infant in her arms. The stagecoach horses got spooked by something and they bolted. Ran she and Cassius down like they weren’t even there,” Ali’s voice dropped to a near-whisper. “She lived long enough to ask me to take him. He’s never spoken a word. I know he took a hoof to the head, but I’ll never know the extent of the damage done. It’s a wonder he lived at all.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stir up old memories,” Harris felt a wave of regret.

“No harm done. Let’s eat,” Ali set a plate down for Cassius and herself, and they all turned their attention to their breakfast.

 

When the meal was done, Ali poured the three of them more coffee and gathered the dishes. “Let’s go sit out in the yard before we have to start the day.”

Following Kyle, Harris limped outside and lowered herself into a chair slowly, careful not to spill a drop of coffee. “It’s not often I’m treated to a meal of that caliber, thank you. And the coffee is good too. Far better than my own.”

Ali’s cheeks turned pink as she stepped back into the house, only to re-emerge a minute later with a walking stick. “Here, stand up and try this on for size. Ever used one of these before?”

“What do I need a cane for?” Harris answered as she stood up.

Ali checked the height of it against Harris and nodded in satisfaction. “You can sit down now. Use it on the side that wasn’t bit. It’ll help take the weight off your infected leg. I thought perhaps I’d show you around town later.”

“Best avoid the bank, Ali,” Kyle said softly. “He’s in town you know.”

“I remember. Besides, unless I lock Harris away from sight, word’s bound to spread anyway. You know that.”

“Do you carry a gun, Harris?”

“A gun makes you a target, Kyle. I am no one’s target. Mind telling me who we’re avoiding?” Harris hid her unease in the sudden turn of conversation behind a sip of coffee.

“We’re trying to avoid Jasper Kennecot,” Ali replied. “He owns this town and everyone and everything in it. He doesn’t trust strangers and he’s been known to run them off if he doesn’t like the look of them. I’d rather he not do that to you.”

 

Harris felt the tingle of defiance race through her, but she squashed it before she said something that gave away who she truly was. Instead, she asked about Jasper Kennecot.

 

**_To Be Continued_ **

  
  
  
  



	4. Richer Than God

“So what’s this Kennecot like?” Harris asked as she took another sip of coffee.

“Manipulative, controlling, belittling and condescending. He owns pretty much everything here.” Ali replied with a curl of her lip. “He apparently has more money than God. He’s bought up businesses that were faltering, started others and convinced some business people to leave town if they threatened his livelihood.”

“You mentioned something about that earlier. How are so many here in such a tight grip?”

“He listens or pays people to do it for him. He seems to know about everyone’s weaknesses, and eventually he uses it to get what he wants,” Kyle said.

“What if someone doesn’t have anything of value to him?”

“Oh, eventually, they will.” Ali shook her dark head. “Thank the heavens he doesn’t live here full time. It’s bad enough he’s come back now.”

“Perhaps it would be best if you don’t give me that tour of the town while he’s here then,” Harris said.

“You may be right. Do you read, Harris?”

“I do.”

“There’s a shelf of books inside beside the door. Help yourself to any of those to pass the time today. I have to see to something, excuse me.” With a tight smile that did not reach her eyes, Ali rose and went inside the cabin.

“Was it something I said?” Harris asked Kyle.

 

“No, she’s getting ready for tonight,” the soft-spoken man replied. “Kennecot owns the clinic. Ali has always had to fight for respect as a doctor here, and one day, he threatened to shut the clinic down unless she agreed to be with him for what he called a ‘date night’ every time he came to town. My guess is that she’s deciding what dress to wear. She hates doing this, but she knows that if she refuses him, he’ll shut the clinic down, and maybe do worse.”

“So she’s…” Harris began.

“Whoring herself so that the people of this town can have medical care? Yes,” Ali spoke from the doorway. “It’s not something I’m proud of Harris, but it has to be done.”

Harris stood as quickly as she was able to and turned to face Ali. “I’m not making any judgments here, Ma’am. It’s not my place. I think you’re very courageous doing what you can to keep the peace here.”

Ali’s features softened. “Thank you. What we really need is a federal marshall to come in here and convince Kennecot to leave. But since that won’t happen, I’d better make sure my dove grey dress is clean.” Ali turned away and went back into the cabin.

Harris sat back down with a sigh.

 

“Welcome to Kennecot, Harris,” Kyle said quietly. “Land of hostages and dust.”

“Why don’t you and your sister leave?”

“He’d never allow that. Last folks to do that, he hunted them down and hung them as an example to the rest of us, right on the main street. The whole family. Parents, kids, even the dog.”

“Sounds like he needs to learn he’s not God.”

“Know anyone strong enough to do that?”

Harris was silent.

“Yeah, me neither,” Kyle said before rising and leaving the porch.

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think so far? Shout out in the comments section below!


	5. The Harassment Of An Ant

Shortly after Kyle left, Dr. Krieger set to cleaning the cabin, refusing all offers of help. She suggested, instead, that Harris take a book out to the porch and put her leg up. Having very little choice, Harris did just that. But as fascinating as Journey To The Center Of The Earth was, her attention kept wandering to what she could do about the town’s dilemma. In her gut, she wanted nothing more than to rip Kennecot’s head from his shoulders, but she knew that wasn’t possible. She knew that a reasonable person would ride out of town and put as much distance as possible between them. But could she just ride away and leave little Cassius, Kyle and the charming Dr. Krieger to their fates?

 

As certain as her wound itched, she knew she could not.

 

But she also knew that her advantage lay in her identity remaining a secret.

 

As she watched a large ant harass a beetle on the porch boards, an idea came to her…

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **


	6. Observations

Harris was left to her own devices for much of the day, which didn’t bother her in the slightest. Doc Krieger…Ali, as she’d been asked to call her, was kept busy over at the clinic. Cassius was working with his uncle. So Harris retreated to the space she’d been given to bunk. She set Journey To The Center of the Earth to one side and pulled her saddlebags from under the bed. She dug deep, right to the bottom, and pulled out a bundle wrapped in oilcloth and tied tight with a strip of leather. She listened closely for the tread of anyone’s return to the cabin for a minute, and after confirming that she was alone, untied the leather. When the bundle was untied and opened, she picked up her handguns and looked them over carefully. The cartridges were still loaded and greased, all that remained to be done was the placement of the caps. But that part would wait. She had no intention of revealing who she was just yet.

 

She re-wrapped the bundle and buried it deep in the bottom of her saddlebags once more. She tucked the saddlebags under the bed, limped out to the main room and placed the book back on the shelf. A quick glance showed no sign that the doctor had anyone different staying with her. Harris turned and left the cabin, slipping into the clinic’s back room. 

 

Ali heard the door close and came to investigate.

“Are you alone?” Harris asked.

“Yes, my last patient left a few minutes ago. Why?”

“I’d like somewhere I can sit and watch the street. Is there anyone in that room you had me in?”

“No. Is there a specific reason you want a view of the street?”

“Well, I’d rather sit out on the porch, but I don’t think having a new face around would do you any favors. So I thought it might be best if I wasn’t seen.” Harris said.

“Ah,” Ali nodded. “I see your point. Yes, that room is still unoccupied. Do you want anything before you go up? You know I won’t be eating at home tonight. Kyle is a fairly good cook though. I’m not sure how he takes the same ingredients for a stew and manages to make it better than I do,” Ali smiled briefly before turning serious again. “At any rate, he’ll be cooking tonight. Cassius will milk the cow. As long as you don’t put too much stress on your leg, you could see to the horses I should think.”

Harris recognized Ali’s rambling as a sign of nerves. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”

“I’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking. I wish...well, never mind. Wishing won’t get my work done. I have some things to do if you don’t need me. I’ll check on you in a little while, alright?”

Harris nodded and watched as Ali turned and went back into the main room.

 

Upstairs, Harris took the straight-backed chair that sat beside the bed and moved it to one side of the window, so she could watch the street and not be seen herself. She poured herself a half glass of water from the pitcher, remembering Ali telling her that she changed the water every day. Tucked beside the window, she had a clear view up the street toward the bank. It looked like every other town she had been in. A dirt road, flanked by what seemed to be a well-constructed boardwalk to keep people from walking in the mud. There was a saloon right across the road with a sign that hung from the roof. The upper floor had four windows, which told her something about the wealth of the owner. Glass wasn’t cheap, as a rule. She couldn’t see anything inside those windows, but knowing what went on in the upstairs rooms of most saloons, she wasn’t really looking. The front porch of the saloon seemed clean, but what she found interesting was the man standing on that front porch. Not sitting, leaned back in the chair like someone with nowhere to be, but standing, watchful and alert with the heel of his right hand resting casually on the butt of his gun.

 

He was guarding something, or someone.

 

Judging by what Ali and Kyle had told her, Harris suspected she was watching one of Kennecot’s personal guards. Being careful to stay out of sight, she watched the saloon door carefully. It took some time, but her patience was rewarded when a man with shoulder-length blond hair left the building. He stood beside the suspected guard, speaking quietly with him, but watching the front door of the clinic. He was well dressed with a dark shirt, fancy vest, a long coat and clean boots. He played with his mustache while he spoke. A gun belt rode low with a gun on each hip. The man who had stood on the porch nodded and left the saloon porch, aiming directly across the street. The jingling of the bell over the clinic’s door announced his arrival and Harris moved quickly to crack the door so she could overhear.

“Mr. Kennecot would like to remind you of your date this evening.” He spoke in a deep voice but did not mumble or slur his words.

“I could hardly forget,” Harris heard Ali reply. “It’s not like I have much choice, now do I?”

“I couldn’t speak to that, Ma’am.”

“Tell Mr. Kennecot I’ll be there.”

The bell tinkled again, and a moment later, the messenger stood on the porch of the saloon again.

Harris watched the two men carefully, committing as much detail to memory as she could. She knew now what Kennecot looked like, and if ego was consistent across men of power, the man beside him was quite likely his right hand.

Two of the most powerful men in town right now. Two men to be watched.

 

When Ali came up to check on her later, under the guise of wanting to look at her leg, Harris asked who the man was that had come in.

“Jim Courtright. He’s Kennecot’s yes-man. Your leg looks a little better, but you really should be using that walking stick.”

“I forgot, not used to it. Sorry.” Harris was short on words. She had plenty she wanted to say, but she knew nothing good would come of it. So she kept her thoughts to herself. “I suppose I’ll go back to the cabin and put it up.”

“I’ll go back with you. I can at least make biscuits. If anyone needs me, they know to come to the cabin. Let me go lock up.”

Harris nodded and listened to her go down the stairs, waiting for the all-clear before she joined the Doc downstairs.

* * *

__

By the time Kyle and Cassius came in, the horses had been brushed and fed, the cow milked and the chickens fed. Ali had made biscuits, changed and gone down to the bank for her “date”.

As she watched Kyle wash his hands, Harris made the most of her opportunity.

“How many men does Kennecot have working for him?”

Kyle looked confused by her question. “It’s hard to say. Rumor has it there are some townsfolk that are on his payroll, but I’ve never given much thought to who they might be. I just assume everyone is and trust no one.”

“So you have no friends here in town?” Harris asked as she retrieved three potatoes from a wooden crate.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly. We have folks that we’re friendlier with than others. Pearl...she’s a seamstress...she doesn’t like Kennecot much but he leaves her alone. She says she helped bring him into the world, knows things about him that would curl a preacher’s collar. She comes and sits with Ali every now and then. I don’t know what they talk about though. I usually tend to the animals when she comes over. She looks at me funny.”

“Funny, how?” Harris stopped peeling the potatoes and watched him.

“I dunno,” Kyle swatted a fly away from the hunk of meat he was unwrapping. “Go away, this is our venison. Like she can see right through me, I guess. Like she can see all my secrets or something. Anyway, I just find somewhere else to be.”

Harris nodded. “Makes sense. Have the folks in town ever tried to hire someone to get rid of Kennecot? It’s happened before, you know, over in Arizona. Folks in Redemption got tired of being under a gunman’s thumb, got a collection together and hired a man to get rid of him.”

“Did it work?”

“Afraid not. Somehow, the hired gun was found out and killed before he could complete his job.”

“I’m not sure folks around here would be brave enough to raise a collection, let alone know how to hire someone to do the job. No, what we need is someone with a badge to come and clean this town up.”

“Is there a sheriff maybe in the next town that could be convinced?”

Kyle shook his head. “I think the closest lawman was over in Tillsonburg. But he was shot by some kid looking to make a name for himself a few months ago.”

 

Harris sighed and kept peeling potatoes.

 

**_To Be Continued_ **

 


	7. Bugs On A Horse's Ass

 

The next morning, Ali claimed to have nothing pressing to do at the clinic, so after Kyle and Cassius left for the general store, she and Harris sat on the porch. Ali sat in a sunbeam with her mending basket and gradually caught up on all the missing buttons, holes that needed patches and socks that needed mending.

Harris tried to pretend she was reading.

“You enjoy that book?” Ali asked.

“Mhhm,” came the reply.

“Mind telling me why you haven’t turned a page in a while then?”

“Just thinking…”

Anything more Harris might have said was cut short by shouts for Doc Krieger from inside the clinic. 

Ali dropped what she’d been stitching and ran for the clinic while Harris retreated as quickly as she could inside the cabin.

 

A couple of hours later, Ali came in and set her mending basket on the table. “It’s just me, you can come out now.”

Harris eased the curtain back and let out a long sigh. “Everything okay?” 

Ali shook her head. “Apparently six of Kennecot’s men were found dead outside the bank this morning, just laid out nicely in a row, all dead. All of them had broken necks. When Kennecot was told, he questioned his remaining men, trying to find out how someone had gotten the drop on them. He beat one of them half to death. So they brought him to me,” Ali poured herself a glass of buttermilk from a stoneware jug. “I think you did the right thing by high-tailing inside. Now is not a good time to be a new face in town.”

“You think he’ll leave sooner?”

“I can only hope,” Ali sighed. “But I doubt it.” She drank her glass of milk in silence for a minute and then said,

“I’d better get back to the clinic. Between you and I? I’m glad there are six less of the bastards to share air with.”

 

Harris tried her best to stay out of sight for the rest of the day, only venturing outside to take care of the animals. Bear head-butted her fondly, and she gave him a good brushing, pleased to see he was gaining a little weight. She knew what a sight he’d looked when she rode into town. So she rubbed between his ears, knowing he enjoyed that and talked to him softly about how it felt to rest for a change. He wickered softly, as if he were answering her in his quietest horse-whisper. When Kyle got home, she went back outside to chop some wood. She figured if anyone heard the sound of chopping, they would assume it was Kyle holding the axe, not a stranger hiding out at Doc Krieger’s place. 

Ali took a good look at her leg by lamplight later that night and shook her head a little. “There’s still a little infection there. Obviously my poultices are no longer working. Does your leg still hurt to walk on?”

“Would you believe me if I said no?” Harris gave the Doc a lopsided grin that made her dimples even more pronounced than usual.

“Not on your life,” Ali replied. “I have to go out tomorrow to see some of my patients that can’t come into town. While I’m out, I’ll stop in and see a friend of mine that knows a great deal about herbs. Perhaps he knows something that will help.”

Harris only nodded and put her pant leg down.

* * *

 

Early the next morning, they were all woken by an insistent pounding on the door.

“Doc Krieger! Doc! Open up!”

“Alright, I’m coming, hold on!” Harris heard from behind her curtain.

She heard the door bolt being thrown back, a hollow wooden sound.

“What is it?”

“There’s three more been found!”

“Okay, are they still alive?”

“No, they’re dead. One was floating face-down in the bank’s horse trough!”

“And this couldn’t wait until I was already awake, Spence?” Ali snapped at the young man who sometimes ran errands for her.

“No, Ma’am, Mr. Kennecot insisted I fetch you right away. He wants to see you in his rooms over the bank right now!”

Ali sighed dramatically. “Fine, sit on the porch and let me get dressed. I’ll be with you shortly.” Ali shut the door in his face and turned back inside where Kyle and Cassius were standing rubbing their eyes. “I have to get dressed. I’ll stop in at the store when I can.”

Kyle murmured something to softly for Harris to hear, and for a brief moment, she wondered if she was going about this the right way.

 

She waited until she heard Ali leave before she peeked out to the main room. Kyle and Cassius weren’t in sight, so she moved as quietly as she could to the door, outside and off the porch. By keeping to the rear of the buildings that lined the street, she was able to get to the end of the street without being seen. She was delighted to find there was a storage shed tucked far too close to the bank. Looking around to ensure she was alone, she wedged herself between the two buildings and inched her way up, between the walls, like a bug. She peeked cautiously up over the bank’s wall and was relieved to find herself alone there too. Struggling with her bum leg a little and as quietly as she could, she finally made it up onto the bank’s roof and followed the sounds of a single male voice.

 

“Well, I don’t know, do you?”

“No, I’m afraid not.” Harris heard Ali reply. “All I can tell you, Mr. Kennecot, is that this one likely drowned. As for the others, right now, I can see no cause of death. Unless you’d like me to do an autopsy.”

“Hell no! It’s bad enough that someone is picking off my men like bugs on a horse’s ass! Now I’m down to half my men, and some vigilante is still getting the better of me! Courtright!” Kennecot’s bellow could have been heard in the next town over.

“Tell the men to stand guard in pairs! No man goes out alone, unless it’s for a piss, you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“As for you, Doctor, I suggest you would do well to keep your ears open for any information you may have to pass along. You never know what you may overhear that might allow you and your brother to live a little more comfortably.”

Harris began to back up the way she’d came, intending to get back to the Doc’s cabin before her disappearance there had been noticed.

She was sitting at the table, preparing a batch of biscuits when Ali strode through the cabin door.

She did not look happy.

 

“You alright?” Harris asked.

“Fine,” Ali replied as she pulled a shawl from off the back of a chair. “I have to ride out today, but I expect I’ll be back before sunset.”

“I remembered you said you had people to see today, so I wrapped up some biscuits and cheese for you,” Harris pointed at a package wrapped in cloth and tied with a strand of leather. “Don’t want you to go hungry.”

Ali’s features softened as she gazed at Harris. “That was very thoughtful.”

“No problem,” Harris said as she felt her face heat up. “Just worried about you, is all.”

“Outside of Kyle, I don’t think any adult has ever said that to me,” Ali said wistfully. “Thank you.”

Harris didn’t trust her voice not to betray her, so she settled for a quick nod. 

Ali left the cabin a few heartbeats later.

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **

  
  



	8. A Deadly Tick

  
  


Being alone most of the day gave Harris time to think. She didn’t like not helping while she stayed in Ali and Kyle’s cabin, she felt too much like a freeloader. So she swept the wooden floor with a corn broom she found in a corner, baked biscuits, oiled the door bolt and tended to the stock. She pondered gathering the eggs, but finally decided against it in case someone happened to be in the clinic and spied her through the back window.

 

She thought about how her stomach had felt on the rare occasions Ali had smiled at her. It was as if she was back training wild horses on her Aunt Ellen’s ranch. Sometimes they bucked when they first felt the saddle, and the first time they felt her weight, they would try and spin her off. When she hit the dirt, it felt as if her stomach was still spinning while the rest of her had stopped. Harris took a look around the cabin until her gaze finally settled on the biscuit bowl. Her aunt had kept her biscuits in a heavy bowl like that. She remembered her aunt’s ranch with great fondness. The days were full of good, honest work and the nights full of companionship, laughter and music. Harris looked around the cabin once more and realized she was tired of hiding away.

It was time to do something about the lawlessness in Kennecot. And then it would be time to rename the town.

* * *

 

Ali got back just after dark, tired and saddle sore. While Cassius brushed down and fed her horse, Harris and Kyle put a plate together of stew, biscuits and cheese. Ali thanked them and went to bed soon after she’d eaten. Kyle made sure Cassius washed up and sent him off to bed as well, then stayed up a while longer bringing his books for the store up to date. Harris feigned feeling weary and went to bed as well, waiting until she heard him leave the table.

Then she waited an hour more to be sure no one would surprise her. The door made no sound as she opened it and tiptoed out onto the porch, her boots in hand.

She sat on the top step and slipped her feet into the boots, noticing she had a rather sizeable hole in one. Then she made her way to the side of the clinic, staying in the shadows. She was content to wait and watch for Kennecot’s men, a task made easier by the full moon overhead. Earlier he had said he was down to half his men, so now she knew there were only six or seven more to deal with. But by the end of the following night, Harris decided, only Kennecot and Courtright would remain. Two stood outside the front door of the bank. They would have to be dealt with last. So she watched for the other four.

 

Her patience finally paid off minutes later when she saw movement on the roof of Kyle’s store, directly across the street. Two men, both armed with rifles. She reached back slowly and pulled the slingshot from the waistband of her pants, and then, just as slowly, pulled the pouch that hung around her neck from beneath her shirt. It was full of round shot, the same as the Army used in their revolvers, and even without gunpowder behind it, at a high velocity one could still kill a man.

 

Harris set a ball in the leather pad and waited until she saw one of the men come to the edge of the roof to scan the street below. She pulled back, and as he turned his head to look down the street, she let fly.

He dropped without a sound.

Harris loaded the leather pad with another ball and waited for his companion to check on him.

He too was taken down silently.

 

Harris made it to the rooftop without being seen, where she checked on both of them.

Dead.

She dragged them both to a spot on the roof where they wouldn’t be easily seen and relieved them of their pistols, ammunition and rifles. Then she found a spot where she could watch the street without being seen from below.

Finally she saw a lone man strolling up the street, headed for the saloon. He had the look of one of Kennecot’s men, and he too carried a rifle that matched the two now laying at her feet. By the time Harris had left the store’s roof, the man she had been watching had gone into the alley between the saloon and the barber shop. He had set his rifle against the wall, just out of reach Harris noted, and was relieving himself against the wall when Harris stepped in close behind him and shoved the muzzle of a pistol into his kidney.

 

“Make one sound, move one muscle and I’ll make sure you never need to piss again, got it?”

The man nodded.

“Good. You’re one of Kennecot’s men, aren’t you?” 

He nodded again.

Harris took a half step back and the man made a move for his gun. Quickly, she kicked him in the back of his knee and he went down like a sack of stones. Without a second thought, she wrapped one hand over his mouth while her other hand pulled her knife from its sheath and sliced his throat. She let the weight of his dying body pull him to the side, where she watched as he bled out into the dirt.

Being careful not to get his blood on her and create possible questions later, she dragged him deeper into the darkness of the alley and left him propped against the wall as if he’d sat down for a long nap. Then she turned to make her way back toward the bank, except she didn’t plan to use the street. Hoping she wouldn’t run into any dogs, she made her way behind the buildings until she was next door to the bank.

Well hidden in the darkness, she watched the two guarding the bank. After a while, it became clear neither was going to abandon his post any time soon. She was going to have to give one of them a reason to leave his companion.

 

The back door of the shop she was huddled against was set in and out of sight of the front door of the bank. Tucking herself into the back doorway, she began to make retching noises, intermingled with faint pleas for help. Finally, she heard one of the men tell the other to go check out the noise. It wasn’t long before she had company. Thankfully, he was shorter than the last one she had dispatched. But in the end, he met the same fate.

A minute or two later, his friend came looking for him.

“Floyd, you sick?” He asked quietly as he bent over the body.

Harris stepped in quietly behind him, threw a rope around his throat and pulled. She stuck to his back like a tick as he clawed back ineffectively, trying to pull her off.

When he collapsed, she hung on a minute longer, just in case he was smart enough to fake it.

She checked to be sure he was dead, trying not to look at his eyes and protruding tongue. It was a horrible way to die, she knew. But she had needed silence to ensure the odds were more in her favor when she finally confronted Kennecot.

 

First though, she needed sleep. Staying to the rear of the buildings, she made her way back to the clinic, and finally back inside the cabin. She took her boots off on the steps and tiptoed back inside, silently sliding the bolt so no one could sneak into the cabin as she had.

Looking forward to a few hours of uninterrupted sleep behind the curtain, she took her clothes off and slid under the quilt, a plan forming in her mind for the final confrontation with Kennecot.

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to how the final showdown will happen?


	9. It All Comes Down To This...

 

Harris got up as soon as she heard Ali stirring the coals in the flat-topped wood stove. She dressed quickly and was tucking her shirt in as she came into the main room.

“Morning,” she greeted Ali. “I’ll go see if there are any eggs.”

“Thank you,” Ali replied without turning around. “The basket is on the bookshelf there.”

When she came back inside, Harris had retrieved eight eggs. She set the basket on the table and looked around for Ali.

“She’s out milking the cow,” Kyle said as he came out of his room.

“Ah,” Harris nodded and took the cast iron frying pan down from its hook on the wall. “It’ll be nice when I don’t have to hide away anymore. I’m looking forward to hunting and bringing back a nice haunch of venison.”

“Tired of stew already, Harris?” Kyle chuckled.

“What will you do for milk when the calf is grown and the cow dries up?” Harris changed the subject.

“Trade for it I suppose, or buy it from someone.” Kyle shrugged.

 

By the time Ali came back in with a bucket of milk, Cassius was up too and rubbing his eyes as he sat at the table. Harris had cracked all the eggs into the large pan and was stirring them slowly.

“Hey, Cassius, where’s the salt?” Harris asked him.

He pointed to a shelf near the stove where a wooden box sat.

“Ah. Thanks, Little Man.” Harris nodded and sprinkled a pinch of salt over the pan of eggs. She put the saltbox back up and turned to the meat safe. After cutting slabs of ham off for everyone, she turned back to tend to the eggs.

“I should have added a bit more wood I guess. The stove is taking longer to cook the biscuits this morning,” Ali said as she set the table. “Have you noticed how well we work together like this?”

“I have,” Harris nodded as she stirred the eggs in the big black pan.

“Even Cass seems to like you, and he doesn’t warm to strangers.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Kyle snapped his fingers. “Cassius, go get the picture that you drew at the store yesterday and show your Mama.”

Cassius’ face lit up with a bright smile and he pushed away from the table in a hurry.

“No running inside, Cass,” Ali admonished.

 

The boy came back from his room carrying a large piece of butcher paper, which he set in front of Ali.

He had drawn Ali, Kyle and Harris, and Bear, with himself in front of all of them.

“He did that with a piece of charred wood from the stove,” Kyle explained. “I thought they were good likenesses. He even caught your smile just right, Sis.”

“That he did!” Ali studied the drawing carefully. “You did a great job, Son, I’m very proud of you.” Ali wrapped one arm around Cassius and hugged him, smiling warmly.

Harris leaned over and took in the artwork as well. “That’s the best drawing I think I’ve ever seen,” she reached out and tousled the boy’s hair. “Bear will be pleased when I tell him that you included him in your picture.”

Cassius seemed to grow an inch with pride.

 

Soon enough, they were all sitting down to scrambled eggs, slabs of ham, biscuits and buttermilk.

“I was thinking, Kyle, one of the hens has stopped laying, the one with the single brown feather on her back…”

“Thinking of roasted chicken dinner?” Her brother responded.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d enjoy something besides stew,” Ali replied.

Kyle and Harris looked at each other and chuckled.

“Harris was telling me earlier that she was looking forward to going hunting and bringing back venison,” Kyle explained.

“I’d like that,” Ali said softly before blushing and returning her attention to her plate.

 

After everyone had finished eating and Kyle and Cassius had left for the day, Ali and Harris were alone.

“I wondered if you could do a favor for me?” Harris began. “I’d like to send a letter and a telegram, but I’m guessing if I sent them myself, I might attract a bit of attention. Could you send them off for me? I’d be happy to pay you whatever they charge here.”

“Of course,” Ali nodded. “Whenever you have them done, let me know…”

Harris rose from the table and came back with an envelope, a folded piece of paper and a sock in hand.

“You want to send a sock too?” The corner of Ali’s mouth quirked.

“Judge Harding might have that attack he keeps threatening if I mailed him my sock,” Harris replied with a grin. “No, the sock has a hole in it and I was wondering if you might lend me your needle and thread so I could fix it.”

“Here,” Ali reached for the article in question. “Hmm, I can fix it, but you really need a new sock.”

“Know anyone who makes them?”

“I make all of ours. One of the things my Mama insisted on before I went away to medical school was that I knew how to make socks.”

“That’s a useful skill to have. How do you do it?”

“Knit it on very small needles with very fine wool.”

“No wonder they cost almost as much as a new saddle,” Harris grumped. “I guess I’ll have to start saving for a new pair.”

“So the telegram is to a judge?” Ali asked.

“Yep. Old family friend. I thought I’d see if he could do anything about Mr. Kennecot.” Harris answered.

Ali nodded. “Your letter...folks back home?” Ali indicated the papers with her needle before returning to the sewing.

“My aunt. She brought me up, like you’re doing here with Cassius. She has a ranch. I haven’t written in quite a while, and I thought she might appreciate hearing I’m still alive.”

“Did she teach you how to read and write? You have very fine penmanship,” Ali glanced toward the envelope again.

“She did. My Aunt Ellen insisted that I learn. I think she has plans for me take over the ranch when she passes on.”

“The coffee sounds like it’s ready. Would you pour?”

“Sure.”

“So once you’re healed enough to travel, what are your plans?” Ali asked.

“Don’t know yet.”

“You could always stay on here,” Ali said softly, watching Harris’ back as she poured coffee for them. “Cassius and Kyle like you, and I...appreciate the company.”

“You might change your mind once I stop hiding, you know,” Harris brought the cups to the table and set one in front of the doctor.

“Well, Kennecot isn’t fond of new folks. He’s known for his...methods of persuasion.” Ali tied off her thread and used a small knife to cut it. “There you go. That should hold for awhile.”

She passed the sock back.

“Thank you. That’s mighty fine work. You sew very well.” Harris took a drink of her coffee before continuing. “Kennecot is almost out of men. Things will resolve themselves soon, I think.”

“You know something I don’t?” Ali asked.

“Yup.”

“Do I want to know what it is?”

“Nope.”

“Okay then.” 

They drank their coffee in companionable silence after that.

* * *

 

Ali brought a reply to Harris’ telegram later that afternoon. “Well, I had to promise Mr. Rains homemade bread for a couple of weeks, but he won’t tell anyone I sent a telegram signed with only an H. You have an answer,” Ali held out a slip of paper, on which Mr. Rains had written the judge’s reply.

‘ _ Use your authority. I’ll stand behind you. _ ’ Harris read silently, folding the sheet and putting it in the pocket of her vest. “Well…”

“Not the answer you wanted?”

Harris shrugged one shoulder. “The Judge always did what was best before. This may be the right answer.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but whatever. I have to get back to the clinic. Kyle finally found the cloth I need for bandages.” Ali rose from the table and aimed for the door.

“Ali…” Harris reached out and caught the doctor’s arm. “Do you trust me?”

“We haven’t known each other long, but yes, I do. I wouldn’t have offered you my home to heal in otherwise.”

Harris let go of Ali’s arm and held on to the back of a chair. “Just wondering.”

“I’ll see you later,” Ali flashed her small smile and left the cabin.

Harris sat there trying to will her stomach to stop flipping.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Harris was trying to think of something to make for dinner that was not stew when Cassius burst in the door.

“Cass, you know your mama doesn’t want you running…”

Cassius slapped a note on the table and looked up at her with wide, tearful eyes.

_ ‘Emergency. Ali needs you NOW’ _

“Did Kyle send this?” Harris asked the boy.

Cassius nodded rapidly.

“Okay, hold on...I guess it’s time to come out of hiding.” Harris strode to her bed, reached under and pulled out her saddlebags. In the corner of her eye, she could see Cassius approach cautiously. When she unwrapped her gunbelt, she glanced at him. He watched her every movement. She unwrapped her revolvers then and quickly capped the nipples on the cylinder. She strapped the guns on and reached into the saddlebags one more time.

When she pinned the Marshal’s badge to her chest, Cassius’ eyes were as wide.

She put her hat on her head and turned to the boy. “Let’s go help your mama.” 

 

They didn’t have to go very far. In the middle of the street, just down from the clinic, Kennecot was shaking Ali with his back to them.

“Something’s going on here and I think you know what it is! If you want your brother and that bastard you’re raising to continue to live, you’d better start talking.” He backhanded her once to get his point across.

Cassius started toward Ali, but Harris reached out and caught his shoulder. “You let me take care of this, okay? You go keep Kyle out of danger.”

Cassius lifted his eyes to her, then glanced at the star she wore before glancing down the street.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone ever again. Go on, now.”

Once Cassius started across the street for his uncle’s store, Harris turned her attention to Kennecot.

“Hit her again and I’ll put a hole in the middle of your hand!”

That got his attention. Kennecot turned toward her, but keep a firm grip on Ali 

“Who the hell are you?” Then he squinted at her. “You’re a sheriff? This is my town and I  _ am _ the law!”

“Wrong on both counts,’ Harris said. “This is no longer your town. You are hereby ordered to leave this town quietly, with the understanding that you will never set foot here again. And the same goes for Mr. Courtright.”

Kennecot laughed. “By whose authority?”

“Mine. Marshal Harris.”

“You’re a Marshal?” Kennecot laughed again. “Bullshit. You’re just some kid with a gun. Go now and I might convince Courtright to let you live.” Kennecot jerked his chin toward the porch of the saloon where his man stood laughing.

 

Harris pulled her gun and shot Courtright between the eyes.

“I believe that makes it an even fight now, Kennecot. Let the doctor go.” She called out.

Kennecot looked at the saloon porch in amazement. “You shot him!”

“Mighty astute powers of observation, you got there.” Harris lowered her revolver but did not holster it. “I believe it’s in your best interest to let the Doc go and surrender.”

“Bullshit!” Kennecot turned toward Ali, raising his hand again.

Harris’s gun fired again and Kennecot like out a shriek.

“You shot me, you bastard!”

“I did say I would if you raised your hand to the doctor again,” Harris glanced to the other side of the street to make sure Cassius was safe. Kyle had both of his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “And for the record, I am fully aware of who my Pa was, so I’m no bastard.” Harris said as she returned her attention to the bully in the street.

Kennecot pushed Ali away from him and pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket to wrap around his bleeding hand.

“Too bad the only Doc in town won’t fix you up. As I understand it, that sort of wound never heals right anyway.”

“No matter, I can shoot with both hands,” Kennecot said as he shifted his gun belt with his good hand.

 

“You alright, Doc?” Harris called out. Ali nodded as she scrambled to her feet and made for her brother’s store.

“Surrender, Kennecot, and I’ll let you live. You don’t have to die this way,” Harris tried to reason with him, even as she doubted he would take the easy way out.

“Go to hell, Marshal!” Kennecot yelled as he drew his weapon.

 

Two shots rang out, and for a moment, two figures stood in the street. Then slowly, Kennecot crumpled to the dirt, his gun falling from his hand.

Harris strode toward him, revolver lifted to shoulder height. She cocked the hammer and the spent cap fell from the cylinder. The townspeople that had gathered on porches and balconies watched her walk toward him, no one moved or spoke.

When she reached his crumpled form, Harris kicked his gun out of reach, in case he was playing possum. But one look at his eyes and the hole in the middle of his forehead told her all she needed to know.

“Kennecot is dead. Doc Krieger, would you come and pronounce, please?” She called out as she holstered her gun.

Ali extricated herself from Cassius’ fearful grip and joined Harris in the street. As she reached the Marshal’s side, she said quietly, “Clearly, you and I have to discuss secrets later.” Then she knelt and felt Kennecot’s neck for a pulse.

She shook her head and straightened up to face her neighbors. “He’s dead!”

“Looks like the law finally came to town!” The young man known as Spence called out.

 

The townspeople exploded into applause and cheers.

Overwhelmed with relief, Ali hugged Harris before she seemed to remember they were in the middle of the street. When she let go, her ears were an interesting shade of pink.

“Spence, get someone to help you take their bodies over to the cemetery,” Ali called out, taking control of the situation.

Harris headed for the saloon. She needed a drink.

* * *

That evening, Ali, Kyle and Cassius all came home together to find Harris sitting at the table reading. 

“Go wash up, Cass, then we can pick up reading where we left off,” Ali said. She slipped her shawl off and stood to face her guest. “We lost track of you, where did you get to?”

“Needed a drink,” Harris closed the book and shrugged. “Slipped out the back door after that and came back here.”

“Too bad,” Kyle grinned. “There was an impromptu town meeting called. There was a motion put forward to ask you to stay on permanently.”

Harris looked up at Ali, who had a smile so wide her teeth showed.

“So, what do you say, Marshal Harris? Interested in staying in Kennecot?”

“Only if the town gets renamed,” she replied with a grin of her own.

“Well then, you’ll like this next bit of news. Before Kennecot took over, the town was known as South Pass. There was a motion to reclaim that name. So, welcome to South Pass, Marshal,” Ali said as she stuck her hand out.

Harris rose and shook it, secretly reveling in how soft the doctor’s hands were. “Thank you. So now that Kennecot is gone, does South Pass have a mayor?”

“Yep!” Kyle continued to smile widely. “You’re shaking her hand! The folks around here all knew what Ali did to keep the town from suffering Kennecot’s wrath, so it was an easy vote.”

“Well, congratulations then, Madame Mayor,” Harris said.

 

“Thank you,” Ali replied softly before reclaiming her hand. “I was hoping you’d agree to stay. As one of my first official acts, I called for names to build an office for you, with an attached jail. It won’t be finished for some time, I’m afraid, but you’re more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you like.”

Just then Cassius came darting from his room, wrapped his arms around Harris’ middle and looked up at her with imploring eyes.

“Looks like you have his vote,” Kyle said. “Mine too.”

“Mine too,” Ali said. “But no more secrets, please?”

“In that case, Ma’am,” Harris said as she wrapped one of her arms around Cassius’ shoulders. “Allow me to formally and properly introduce myself. My name is Marshal Ashlyn Harris, of South Pass. But you can call me Ash.”

 

“A woman Marshal?” Kyle chuckled. “That alone might have killed Kennecot if he’d known.”

Cassius looked up again and smiled wider than anyone had ever seen.

“As true as that is, it also makes me a target, so I don’t let just anyone know,” Harris said seriously.

Kyle chuckled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I do hope our new marshal can hunt. I’m getting mighty tired of stew.”

“Oh, a few of the...women at the saloon...sent over some chili and cornbread for you in gratitude. Apparently, Kennecot was pretty harsh with them, too. If you know what I mean.” Ali said, finally lifting a basket to the table that she had set on the floor when they had come in.

“I’m so hungry I could eat a field of radishes,” Their new Marshal remarked. “Oh, tomorrow, I’d like to talk to you about your garden out there.” She ruffled Cassius’ hair, and he finally released his grip on her.

“It’s sat fallow for a long time, Harris...I mean, Ash,” Ali stumbled over using Harris’ given name. “I just didn’t have the time to keep it up, and a lot of my patients pay me in preserves and meat, and so on. But if you’d like to give it a shot…”

“I would.”

“It’s yours then,” Ali nodded and turned to her son. “Alright young man, go pick out a book while Ash eats her supper.”

 

**_The End...For Now_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it, Dear Reader! 
> 
> I apologize for the wait, but I was researching Ash's revolver. The 1857 Army revolver really did take caps, and they really did sit on protuberances known as nipples.  
> This is not the end. While writing these last couple of chapters, I decided there were a lot of stories in this town. And so this little fun romp in the West has become a series. And you just know there'll be a romantic element eventually! So stay tuned for the next installment, in which we find out about our main characters and witness the growing feelings between the Doctor and The Marshal.
> 
> If you enjoyed this tale, please let me know in the comments box below.  
> Thanks for reading, you're the best!


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